Darren Aronofsky. One of my favorite directors. It carries a bit of the madness of David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, but leaves its own very special directorial mark with film stations such as the black and white "P", "Requiem for a Dream", "The Wrestler" (Mickey's serious return Rourke after a while), "Black Swan" and "Noah" (a special look at one of the most famous stories in the world) and of course The Fountain.
The thing that fascinates me about Aronofsky is the way he analyzes and renders things. The film revolves around man's attempt to find the elixir and consequently the meaning of life. It has to do with love and acceptance of loss. Aronofsky flirts a lot with the futility of man's desire for immortality. In the 1 hour and 36 minutes that the film lasts, it unfolds the tangle of three different different interconnected stories - time periods. The main plot is about a doctor (Hugh Jackman), who is looking for a cure for cancer that his wife (Rachel Weisz) suffers from. The message that the director is trying to convey masterfully to the audience is that by searching for the ‘future’ we lose the ‘present’. The work is full of symbolism that one may not understand from the first time. The way he confuses the stories leaves a lot of room for interpretation and dialogue with your inner self.
The second story of the film takes place in the time period of the book (16th century) written in the present (2005) by the doctor's wife. In this story, the protagonist is a Spanish Conquistador, who in turn searches for the tree of life's source. In this part of the film we watch the unfolding of the same meaning from a different point of view. In general, the work, as I said, deals with the natural evolution and the flow of life. Aronofsky tries to make it clear that the flow of life does not change. This is another pessimistic realistic message. In essence, it tells us that we must fight for the present. The shocking moment when the protagonist realizes that his thirst for immortality has deprived him of exactly what he was looking for, is given through an excellent symbolism, difficult to understand but dazzling.
The third story is about the journey of a lonely astronaut of the twenty-sixth century to self-knowledge. Without wanting to reveal more, I will only mention that the director manages to 'tie' these three seemingly different and chronologically different stories in a magical way. In this part, the film visually moves to another level, with the use of animation having its honor. In general, the photography in this work moves at very high levels and Aronofsky deceives the viewer by using real and not digital elements, such as some microorganisms under a microscope.
Hugh Jackman, whom I especially like as an actor, and is the definition of 'badass', perhaps more so than Jason Statham or Liam Neeson (yes I said it!) Because he brings out a different "magic" in his films, decided to . Throw away the Wolverine label for a while (I can't imagine a more suitable actor) and play his first serious role. I can say that he surprised me positively with his interpretation because I couldn't think of him in anything other than his style in the well-known comic movie. Other similar notable interpretations include "The prestige" and "Prisoners".
Music; In a word: riveting! The composer is Clint Mansell, a close associate of Aronofsky (a thing like Tim Burton and Danny Elfman) who, among other things, has written the classic and most recognizable music of "Requiem for a Dream". This particular piece has been used several times in the space, from movie trailers to Greek series!
Many (audiences and critics alike) claim that the film has lost its ambitions. Personally, I believe that this is an unjust diamond and that is why the choice of the director, legitimate or not, is responsible for giving the viewer enough and intangible information. Does it put a lot in the basket? For sure. Does it require your full attention? Clearly. Is it for everyone? No. Should she be seen by a simple cinephile who, in addition to robots, also fights cheap jumpscares (which I like) and wants to think about five more things? Definitely! It is a work that is not bad among the top of the 7th art. It is worth giving him a chance.
Official youtube trailer